Senate Hopefuls Plot Plans For Vital Last 10 Days Of Race

TALLAHASSEE — With just 10 days remaining before the Democratic and Republican U.S. Senate primaries, the candidates are going for broke.

This is the key week in the campaign, when poor candidates borrow money, when nervous candidates unload attack ads and when front-runners with plenty of cash buy a few more television commercials for comfort.

All of those things are being mulled over this weekend in preparation for the Sept. 6 contests. Consider:

Buddy MacKay, a Democrat who is hoping for a second-place finish, is thinking of taking out a personal loan to help pay for the $650,000 in television commercials he has reserved.

Fellow Democrat Dan Mica, who also wants that second-place spot, is considering running negative television advertisements for the first time in his political career.

Republican front-runner Connie Mack, who has treated opponent Robert Merkle with all the seriousness of a gnat, is buying television time on Spanish stations in Miami to put a little extra gloss on his image among Hispanic voters.

Democratic front-runner Bill Gunter, who is virtually assured of a first- place primary finish, is nonetheless premiering two more negative television ads this week that take aim at votes cast in Congress by both Mica and MacKay. All of this is in preparation for a contest that in one sense is just beginning, because the voters for the first time are starting to pay attention.

''It's such a strange election,'' said Alan Stonecipher, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Pat Frank. ''It's closing so late. Nothing has really happened that changes the race up to this point. I believe it will all come in the last week.''

By early this week, every Democratic candidate who can afford a television campaign will be on the air. These candidates are Gunter, who has been running commercials steadily for most of this month; MacKay, who is beginning his second week of ads; Mica, who aired some commercials in early August but who has been off the air for more than two weeks; and Frank, whose first commercials will debut Monday.

Television advertising is considered essential in a statewide election. It is the only way to effectively reach most of Florida's 3 million registered Democrats and 2 million registered Republicans.

The objective of MacKay, Mica and Frank is to grab the No. 2 spot and force a primary runoff with Gunter on Oct. 4. With six Democratic candidates in the race, a runoff is a virtual certainty. The bulk of the support is expected to go to the four candidates with enough money to run television ads, while former Gov. Claude Kirk and former postal clerk Fred Rader pick up only a few votes.

Here is a look at the strategies of the four major Democratic candidates as they prepare for the final campaign stretch:

Gunter, the 54-year-old insurance commissioner, wants to hang on to his hefty lead, ideally not dipping below 40 percent in the final vote count. His campaign manager, Tim Meenan, says Gunter has the luxury of looking to the runoff and that is why he is airing ads critical of votes cast by MacKay and Mica in Congress.

Gunter also has avoided most appearances with his opponents, a tactic that has drawn harsh criticism from other candidates.

MacKay, a 55-year-old third-term congressman from Ocala who has sharply criticized Gunter for accepting campaign contributions from the insurance industry, may not be able to raise enough money for his extensive television campaign and may take a personal loan, campaign manager Greg Farmer said late last week.

MacKay, who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 1980, put about $450,000 of his own money into that race, only to finish third in the primary. If MacKay puts in his own cash this year, it will be ''a modest loan, if anything,'' Farmer said, expressing hope that the necessary cash can be collected through contributions.

In order to finish second, MacKay must fare well in his home base of Central and North Florida, a base he shares with Gunter.

Mica, a 44-year-old fifth-term congressman from Lake Worth, is counting on his South Florida base to carry him into the runoff.

Although Mica's first television ads this week will be positive, he said he is reserving the option of airing ads critical of Gunter later in the week.

Frank, a 58-year-old state senator from Tampa, already has put $250,000 of her own money into her campaign and is beginning a television campaign this week in Tampa, Tallahassee, Orlando and West Palm Beach.

An outspoken feminist, Frank has attracted the support primarily of women's organizations. Her best hopes for support are from people impressed with her discussions of day care and other family issues and from her home base in the Tampa Bay area.

The Republican primary pits cool, confident, cash-rich Mack of Cape Coral, a 47-year-old third-term congressman, against the aggressive tactics of Merkle, a 44-year-old former federal prosecutor who entered the race late and has little money or organization.